Process and installation for producing materials with modified properties

ABSTRACT

A method for manufacturing filler materials for minerally bonded structural elements with thermal treatment of the starting materials to be used as filler materials involves subjecting comminuted high-polymer materials comprised of natural or synthetic origin materials to a shock-like heat radiation treatment by passing the materials under an irradiation unit to provide a temperature gradient of at least 20K per mm of travel distance of the materials beneath the irradiation unit in which an iron temperature of more than 600° C. can be measured whereby the materials are inertized and are activated by heat in the range of a molar energy of 60 to 170 kJ*mol -1  and then placing the resulting activated materials in a crystal-forming solution of inorganic substances that enter into a permanently adhesive bond with a basic matrix of a composite material to be formed therefrom.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a process and an installation for producingmaterials for heat, sound, vibration, and radiation damping, minerallybonded blocks with non-brittle behavior under compressive and bendingstress in the form of breeze concrete floors, insulating panels,perforated parking panels, hollow blocks, breeze concrete panels forcompartmentizing framework structures, shock-loaded intermediate layersin highway and railroad beds, protective layers for geotextiles orsealing films in earthworks, and beds with heat, sound, vibration,and/or nuclear-radiation-damping requirements.

This material, whose properties have been modified, contains as thecarrier material a considerable amount of comminuted unsorted materialsand comminuted worn-out products or remnants from the textile, leather,and artificial leather industries. Depending on the application,minerally bonded materials in the form of dust, ash, and/or sludge aswell as biologically toxic materials can be added to this materialdepending on the application, but must be subjected to treatment toinertize them in the material that is produced.

The process is especially environmentally beneficial thanks to theutilization of remnants and waste materials as well as worn-out productsfrom the textile, leather, and artificial leather industries, and alsoin particular by the processing of nonmetallic components fromautomobile recycling as well as dust, ash, and sludge from wastetreatment facilities.

The method also allows utilization of empty containers which the lawrequires to be returned, made of paper, cardboard, plastic, andlaminated materials from commercial enterprises. This process also helpsthe environment by saving on natural resources such as sand, gravel, andstone chips as well as by reducing the amounts used of mineral bindersand setting accelerators.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The known technical solutions for utilization of comminuted nonmetallicindustrial and household waste as fillers or raw materials use as thestarting material for example 40 to 60 wt. % of textile fibers,synthetic resin based binders, for example for the manufacture ofartificial stone (WO 89/11457), for insulating material made of melamineresin fiber mats (DE 3147308), or insulating panels made ofurea-formaldehyde resin (DD 235291). Other methods are aimed at bondingcomminuted fibrous materials by gluing with addition of thermoplasticfibers and exposure to the action of heat and pressure (DD 209772, DD259819), or gluing the fibers together with addition of glue andreaction promoters (DE 3641464).

Such processes and the corresponding production facilities have a highenergy requirement and are very expensive. Hence they do not constitutean economical alternative to processing the large amounts of organicfillers and raw materials that accumulate.

To improve the properties of cellulose-fiber-reinforced inorganic moldedbodies, systems for steam curing for aftertreatment are also known (DE3734729). Thermal aftertreatments are also used for manufacturinglightweight construction additives from finely comminuted waste,whereby, by sintering in a combustion process, cellular structures areproduced by reacting organic components in sintered pellets with aclosed outer skin (DE 3404750) or in which the conversion of solidwastes with at least 30 wt. % cellulose content, for example householdwaste, takes place in the presence of burnt lime with a sudden increasein temperature from less than 100° C. to a temperature that is at leastequal to 250° C., into solid, inert, water-insoluble materials (DD247891). Fired fillers made of expanded clay aggregate are also producedat temperatures above 1200° C.

These methods for manufacturing pretreated fillers involve hightechnical and technological expense, which makes such waste utilizationfor the organic materials that accumulate in industrial operations andhomes uneconomical.

Other processes use mechanical anchoring in the basic matrix of concreteto bond the fibrous materials, for example by fibrillation of the fibers(EP 0152490), roughening the fiber surfaces (EP 0343180), or by means ofbeads and thickenings on the fiber surfaces (DE 2930939). These alsoinclude the manufacturing methods with the corresponding systems forfiber composite materials, in which mats made of chopped strands (DE3916815) or pretreated textiles in strand form (DE 3508552) are added,embedded in concrete. Methods for manufacturing fabric-reinforced cementstructures (EP 0135374) and the textile reinforcement of mortar withwide-mesh fiber or knit (DE 3238993) have a similar effect.

To improve the structural physical properties, especially heatinsulation, noise, and vibration damping, processes plus systems areused for adding special fillers for example to the construction materialfor heat insulation (EP 0139791) or the use of comminuted textilematerial in heat-insulating plaster using foam-promoting wetting agents(DD 236300), powder or granulate of thermoplastic plastics as a fillerin amounts up to 60% (EP 0242334) or waste from old tires, up to 95 wt.% to improve the thermal insulation in construction (DE 2929925).

The known solutions have in common the disadvantage that they can beused either only for specific fillers or raw materials or only forspecial structures and the economic parameters for manufacturing orprocessing large amounts, if they are used at all because of thespecific nature of the construction or the fillers, are oftenunsatisfactory.

The systems used to produce the prior art products are of coursetailored to the individual specific process parameters because of thefundamental differences in the process. They are not transferable to thetechnical conversion of the new method for manufacturing fillers or rawmaterials whose properties have been modified.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These drawbacks are overcome by virtue of the fact that a universallyapplicable material is developed and manufactured that contains maximumvolume amounts of comminuted, mixed, and unsorted materials or worn-outproducts from the textile, leather, and artificial leather industrieswithout chemical additives, in other words only materials that are usedas binders and setting accelerators in any event in the technologicalprocess of manufacturing minerally bonded blocks. Not only materialchips but also dust and sludge from waste-treatment facilities can beworked into the additives.

Hence the goal of the invention is to process the nonmetallic materialsthat occur in recycling processes and have heretofore not been possibleto use, as well as unsorted and mixed materials or worn-out products orremnants from the textile, leather, and artificial leather industries,in comminuted form, with mineral binders to form raw materials,especially lightweight construction additives, with non-brittle behaviorunder mechanical stresses and with heat, sound, vibration, and/orradiation-damping properties that can be modified to suit theapplication.

In addition it is also the goal of the invention to design a productionfacility with which, starting with in particular processed materials orrecycled products from the textile, leather, and artificial leatherindustries, nonmetallic materials recovered from old cars, and wastepacking material, minerally bonded structural materials or blocks withmodified structural physical properties can be manufactured at low cost.

In another form of application of the invention, it is intended to bepossible to prepare a covering that inhibits the passage of gas, whichis not destroyed when loaded, and also withstands varying stresses.

The essence of the invention consists in the fact that the high-polymermaterials comminuted into fillers for minerally bonded blocks aresubjected to shock heat irradiation to inertize them and to activatethem before they are mixed with crystal-forming aqueous solutions ofmineral binding accelerators and mineral binders.

The features according to the invention for heat treatment are theextremely high color temperature of approximately 2800K of the radiatorgenerating the heat flux and the high energy concentration in a linearfocus that lead to high temperature gradients of at least 20K per mm ofdistance traveled before and after the linear focus.

The high energy concentration in the adjustable linear focus also meansthat

maximum iron temperatures of more than 600° C. at the linear focus canbe measured and

the irradiated materials are activated thermally with a molar energy inthe range of 60 to 170 kJ,mol⁻¹, so that when these materials, whichhave been rendered free of microorganisms and thus simultaneouslyactivated, are placed in aqueous solutions of mineral bindingaccelerators and binders firmly adhering crystal complexes distributedover the surfaces are formed.

As the binding accelerator is to be added, waterglass or soluble siliconfluoride are preferably suitable for simultaneous flameproofing andweather protection of the materials thus treated in conjunction withcement, plaster, or other ceramics as binders.

The distribution density of the crystal complexes adhering to thesurfaces of the materials thus treated can be influenced by the dose,regulated by the throughput rate and the layer thickness of thematerial, the activation energy used and the concentration of themineral binding accelerator contained in an aqueous solution, with thewater content corresponding to the mixing water requirement of thebinder.

The non-brittle heat, sound, and vibration damping properties resultfrom the fact that the binders do not completely surround the comminutedmaterial chips but, between adjacent material chips with partiallydistributed, adhesive crystal complexes, bridges made of the binder gel,cement paste for example, form and they firmly seal the material chipswhen they cure. The residual elastic behavior of the high-polymermaterial volumes between the crystal adhesion points lends the minerallybonded material thus produced the desired structural physicalproperties.

Admixture of radiant energy absorbent materials such as inert lead andboron compounds, aluminum hydroxide, gadolinium oxide, or magnetite inthe aqueous solution of the binding accelerator, in the minerally bondedmaterial thus produced, produces radiation protection properties,especially also for secondary gamma and neutron radiation. This involvesinsoluble bonding of the above-mentioned materials added.

In aqueous mixtures with the binding accelerators to be used, sludge,for example from wastewater treatment plants, can be added to thematerial, and the water content of the sludge must be adjusted to themixing water requirement of the binder.

When the sludge from wastewater treatment plants that is added containsbiologically toxic components, the air-dried loose minerally bondedmaterials must be inertized by another heat treatment like thatperformed at the outset in treating the material chips.

The moldable mixture of materials can then be processed and pressed intoconventional molds, to form minerally bonded structural elements such asperforated parking panels, insulating panels, hollow blocks, orlightweight structural elements for walls. As a result of air drying,the material that is piled only loosely produces a bulk filler for useas a property-modified minerally bonded material for example inpoured-in-place concrete or floor mortar, or as a lightweight additiveinstead of sand, gravel, and stone chips in any minerally bondedstructural elements.

The modification of the properties of the products of the process takesplace primarily by adjusting the mixture components and the ratio ofthese components to one another. The following are used in particular ascomponents:

Comminuted unsorted materials from recycling returns of packagingmaterials of all kinds;

Comminuted worn-out products and remnants from the textile, leather, andartificial leather industry;

Comminuted plastic materials from automobile recycling;

Dust, ash, and/or sludge;

Biologically toxic materials.

On the other hand, the modification of the properties is performed bythe mineralization process itself:

Depending on the minerals and mineral admixtures used, for example

nonflammable by waterglass

weather-resistant by fluorosilicate

the strength and elasticity behavior depends on the energy dose and thedensity of the crystal coating;

radiation protection effect by mineral additives;

heat insulation, noise damping is influenced by compression(technological measure);

resistance to aggressive chemicals, e.g., alkali damage; adhesivecrystals on the surface of the mineralized materials cannot be removedby intensive washing;

the bonding of the mixture components takes place as a result of mineralbonding with cement through these firmly adhering crystals; the strengthand elasticity behavior can be influenced in this manner.

The system according to the invention for manufacturing materials withproperties modified for minerally bonded structural elements consists ofa combination of known, commercial machines and equipment with specialdevices designed and used according to the invention, with which thetechnological conditions for the manufacturing method are met. For thispurpose, system components are arranged sequentially in the sequencerequired by the technology for a continuous treatment process in a line.

The material feed device is located at the input of the system. Remnantsand recycling products are divided here between those that contain hardparticles and those that do not. This device consists for example of aconveyor belt fed by a grab.

The materials added are fed to a comminuting device in which, preferablyby means of shredders, the materials with the hard parts and those freeof them are comminuted separately. A design is preferred in which theshredder for the materials containing the hard particles operates by theshear principle and the shredder for the materials containing no hardparticles uses the high-speed beating principle.

The comminuting device is followed by the dust remover with the dustprecipitator to carry away the dust-laden exhaust air. The precipitationchannel itself has several water curtains that are traversed by thedust-laden airstream. This dust precipitator also allows the dust to befed into the process conducted by the system. Dust added in this mannercan also be shearing dust, industrial dust, or ash.

Another important feature of the invention is the fact that the dustseparated from the material added and the dust added externally throughthe dust precipitator in a clarified form, can be fed back into theprocess conducted by the system, within the framework of themineralization device or the mixer.

The dust separator is followed by a metering device. The metering deviceconsists firstly of a compartmented wheel lock which receives thematerial chips from the dust separator in free fall and which, by meansof the rpm-adjustable discharge wheel of the compartmented wheel lock,ensures loading of the conveyor belt located under the compartmentedwheel lock.

The metering device consists, secondly, preferably, of one spreadingroller and one scraping roller, arranged with their axes preferablyperpendicular to the conveyor belt and driven in the direction oppositeto the direction of motion of the conveyor belt. As a result of therollers that operate against the conveyor belt and the direction offeed, the material chips that land on the conveyor belt after beingdumped there by the compartmented wheel lock are distributed over thewidth of the conveyor belt and their height is made uniform so thatafter they leave the metering device, in other words after they pass thespreader roller, a loosely formed band of material chips rests on theconveyor belt.

This band of material chips resting on the conveyor belt is now sent toa device to inertize them. The inertization system which consists of atleast one, but preferably several heat flux generators combined into aheat radiation battery, has a shock-like heat radiation effect with ahigh energy concentration.

The heat flux generators are installed parallel to the conveying level,preferably in linear fashion as a line of heat radiators above andperpendicular to the direction of movement of the conveyor belt.

In addition, to increase the degree of inertization, anotherinertization device is provided. This inertization device according tothe invention is located at the end of the conveyor belt and in thiscase is mounted so that the material chips that come off the end of theconveyor belt pass through the second inertization system in free fall.In this manner, radiation on both sides and hence through-radiation ofthe material chips is possible.

For this purpose, the second inertization system consists of at leasttwo heat flux generators located opposite one another at a distance suchthat the material chips, which are guided by means of a funnel locatedupstream, can readily pass in free fall.

Such an increase in the degree of inertization is necessary inparticular when freedom of the materials from harmful substances must beguaranteed.

As a result of the shock irradiation with heat, the material chips arerendered inert and activated before they are mixed with crystal-formingaqueous solutions of mineral binders. This process takes place in themineralization device that follows the system for inertizing thematerials. The mineralization device can be designed as a screw conveyorin which the dissolved mineral in the water is combined with the mineralchips that have been inertized, the water, and/or the sludge.

The activated chip material is mineralized as it passes through.

In the mixer which follows, final mixing of the mineralized materialchips with solvent residues of the mineral as well as sludge components,binders, and wastewater from the dust precipitator takes place.

Hence, a material that can be used according to the invention can beremoved from the mixer.

If the added or admixed dust and/or sludge contain biologically toxiccomponents, aftertreatment with an additional system for inertizing themis required.

This system for inertizing materials and aftertreating them, whichcompletes the technological manufacturing process, can be designedanalogously to the systems for inertizing materials described above.

The materials that modify the properties are suitable for example for:

processing to form minerally bonded structural materials in the shape ofbreeze concrete floors, insulating panels, breeze concrete blocks andhollow blocks as well as breeze concrete panels for finishing frameworkstructures;

creation of vibration damping machine bases and intermediate layerssubjected to impact in highway and railroad beds;

incorporation of protective layers for geotextiles and sealing films inexcavation and backfilling with heat, sound, vibration, and radiationdamping effects.

In particular, the materials manufactured by this method give theminerally bonded structural elements a non-brittle behavior previouslyunknown in construction under dynamic and high static compressivestresses. Such structural materials guarantee earthquake safety for thestructures built from them and are an effective means for protectionagainst damage by infrasound, etc.

The following can be mentioned as commercial and technologicaladvantages of the products:

The starting materials are economical and are available in largequantities in the form of remnants and recycling products fromindustrial and household collection;

No prolonged setting times are required and the minerally bondedstructural elements that are produced can be removed from the moldimmediately, and processing can be conducted independently of theeffects of weathering;

By means of mixing ratios, inertization, activation, and compression,the modifiable properties of the materials for processing into specialsoundproofing, heat-insulating, vibration-damping, andradiation-absorbing elements can be adjusted.

In another application of the invention with incorporation of theproperty-modified materials, structural layers that inhibit thethrough-passage of gas are manufactured. Such structural layers are usedto cover extensive areas that emit gases, for example garbage dumps,mine tailings, filled swamps and bogs.

The theoretical solution consists in placing the layer that inhibits thepassage of gas between a non-brittle upper layer and lower layer. Toproduce such non-brittle layers, mineralized and cement-bonded materialchips are especially suitable which show an elastic behavior which isthe same as that of the intermediate layer to be protected.

This intermediate layer which inhibits the passage of gas advantageouslyconsists of a water-storing and swelling mineral powder material that isplaced between two elastic textile webs and held there by the textile.

The effect of inhibiting the passage of gas is achieved by virtue of thefact that a sufficiently thick layer of water forms in the water-storingmineral powder material that suppresses the passage of gas.

The advantages achieved here consist particularly in the fact that thenon-brittle flexible structural layers are not destroyed by possibleloads and withstand changing stresses and the water-storing effect ofthe powdered swellable material deposited between the nonwoven fiberwebs results in a secure layer that inhibits the passage of gas.

An important advantage also consists in the effect of reducingradioactive radiation that is offered by the embedded water layer inswollen mineral powder as well as in avoiding the emission ofradioactive gases in the first place.

With the process according to the invention and the correspondingsystem, waste products occurring in recycling processes that arenonmetallic and previously could not be used are processed for the firsttime. This refers in particular to the following:

waste from automobile recycling, such as mixed composite materials withtextiles, plastics, rubberized hair, jute fibers, artificial leather,leather, etc. These materials arrive unsorted and can be inertizedwithout flame treatment;

tannery wastewater residues with a bacteriological load (biologicallytoxic substances);

contaminated plastic packaging materials (cups for food, etc.);

old textiles which have been picked out of a dump; processing of alreadystored old textiles from existing dumps is possible.

In addition, complete replacement of mineral additives such as sand,gravel, and rock chips is also possible.

As a result of the property modification explained above, minerallybonded materials or structural elements with a wide range of differentproperties can be produced.

Thus, heat-, sound-, vibration-, and/or radiation-damping properties canbe conferred.

By using the radiation-damping properties, a new application for the rawmaterials to be processed according the invention has been found; inconjunction with geotextiles, for example with radon-tight "Bentofix"matting as an elastic protective layer in cleaning up old mines or abase for building in radon-affected areas.

New properties include:

water permeability even at high pressure loads,

resistance to water buildup,

resistance to freezing/thawing cycles,

stuffability up to 60% without breaking, with high sturdiness whensubjected to continuous vibration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described below without limitation of the generalidea of the invention on the basis of examples possibly with referenceto the drawing, and express reference will also be made regarding thedisclosure of all of the details according to the invention notdescribed in greater detail in the text.

FIG. 1 shows the schematic construction of the system for manufacturingproperty-modified structural and filling materials, shown as a blockdiagram;

FIG. 2 shows the metering device for producing evenly distributedsurface areas;

FIG. 3 shows the sequence of heat flux generators in the system forinertizing objects;

FIG. 4 is a system for inertizing objects with through-radiation of thescrap chips on both sides;

FIG. 5 shows the procedure and the structure of the layers when coveringextensive gas-emitting areas;

FIG. 6 shows the use of the method to cover dumps emitting large amountsof radon.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The method according to the invention will now be described in greaterdetail with three sample recipes.

1. Manufacture of wall panels from property-modified materials forminerally bound structural elements

1.1. Comminuted textile wastes made of polyamide (screen size 20×20 mm)are thermally inertized and activated on a conveyor belt with an energyexpenditure of approximately 0.54 kWh/m³. A radiation beam device with1350 W halogen infrared light suspended over the conveyor belt is usedas the heat source. Then 435 l of the textile chips pretreated in thismanner are mixed with 60 l of waterglass solution in a concentration of8° Be for mixing in a planetary mixer.

After premixing, 100 kg of cement as the binder and an additional 10 lof waterglass in a concentration of 37° Be as well as 20 l of mixingwater are added to the mixing process.

1.2 After mixing is complete, lasting about 5 minutes, the mixedmaterial is poured into a slab mold to produce wall panels measuring740×320×140 mm.

1.2. Textile wastes made of polyamide and old textiles comminuted in ashredder as well as nonmetallic materials from auto recycling areinertized and activated by heat treatment as in Example 1.1. This wasfollowed by dry mixing with 80 l of textile wastes made of polyamide, 55l of comminuted auto paneI parts, 80 l of coarse foam flakes from autoseats, 100 l of comminuted "Duroplast" from Trabant bodies, 20 l ofrubberized hair from automobile cushions, and 100 l of old textilemixture in a planetary mixer. The following were then added and mixed:60 l of waterglass with a concentration of 8° Be, as a binder 130 l ofcement, 20 l of water as makeup water, 10 l of waterglass with aconcentration of 37° Be, and 40 l of calcium chloride solution in aconcentration of 3° Be as the mineral setting accelerator.

After mixing was complete, wall panels of breeze concrete measuring740×320×140 mm could be manufactured with this material on theconventional slab mold.

2. Manufacture of property-modified materials by incorporating residualsludge from a wastewater treatment plant

100 parts by volume of textile chips pretreated with heat were mixedwith 20 volume parts waterglass solution at 12° Be with the addition of20 volume parts sludge, consisting of a mixture of tannery sludge andmagnetite as a precipitating agent, as well as 20 parts by volume ofcement as a binder. After drying for 24 hours the resultant minerallybonded and loosely piled material was heat-treated again and thusinertized. It was then odorless.

Manufacture of minerally bonded materials by incorporating wastewater

3.1. 40 parts by volume of tannery wastewater and 20 parts by volume ofcement were mixed with 100 parts by volume, saturated with 10 parts byvolume of waterglass solution at 10° Be, of textile chips pretreatedwith heat and then dried. After storage for 24 hours, followed by thematerial being inertized, a loose, odorless, cement-bonded material isobtained for minerally bonded structural elements.

3.2. 100 parts by volume of textile chips pretreated with heat weremixed with 10 parts by volume of waterglass solution at 37° Be, 40 partsby volume of tannery wastewater, and 25 parts by volume of cement. Afterstorage for 24 hours, this produces an odorless, loose, cement-bondedmaterial for minerally bonded structural elements.

FIG. 1 shows the combination of equipment and machinery for a system formanufacturing property-modified materials.

The materials to be comminuted and/or worn-out products or remnants fromthe textile, leather, and artificial leather industry, nonmetallicmaterials from old automobiles, and packaging wastes are separated intomaterials containing hard parts and materials free of hard parts bymaterial feed 1 with a grab, and fed to comminuting device 2.Comminuting device 2 consists of a shredder for materials 2.1 with hardcomponents which works by the reversion principle as well as a shredderfor materials 2.2 that are free of hard parts or free of metal andindustrial wastes, especially those accumulating in large volumes andmade of paper, cardboard, leather, artificial leather, textiles,plastics, and composite materials.

The materials fed mixed into the comminuting device are conveyedpneumatically into a dust remover 3.

The dust-laden exhaust air is conducted from the dust remover into adust precipitator 4. Here the dust is elutriated by a spray of water. Atthe same time, dusty wastes can be blown into this dust precipitator andelutriated for further processing in the same way.

The material chips produced in comminuting device 2 are fed to meteringdevice 5 in free fall from dust remover 3. The structure of the meteringdevice is shown in FIG. 2.

From compartmented wheel lock 5.1 the waste chips are ejected in batchesonto a conveyor belt 5.4 distributed with a spreading roller 5.2, drivenin the direction opposite to the conveying direction, transversely withrespect to the transport direction, and laid out with a scraping roller5.3 likewise running in the opposite direction to form a band ofmaterial chips 5.5 with approximately equal distribution over conveyorbelt 5.4.

With the metering device therefore, a roughly uniformly distributed massper unit area of material chip strip 5.5 is achieved, as is required forsubsequent inertization.

According to FIG. 3, the device for inertizing objects consists of aheat flux generator 6.1 made up of a row of four steel beams distributedover a length of about 1 m.

The radiators each have a width of 1.00 m. Halogen infrared lamps can beused as the radiators themselves.

Beneath the heat flux generator, the material chip belt 5.5 lying onconveyor belt 5.4 is treated with an energy application of about 0.5kWh/m³ and leaves the device for inertizing objects as inert materialchips 6.2.

Increasing the degree of inertness is achieved by treating the materialchips in free fall after they have left the conveyor belt.

For this purpose, a device that adjoins conveyor belt 5.4 in theejection direction according to FIG. 4 is used, consisting of a funnel6.3 and a second heat flux generator 6.4 which ensures irradiation ofmaterial chips 6.2 on both sides. By using funnel 6.3, the materialchips that drop in free fall are guided so that the chips fall looselybetween two radiation beams 6.4 spaced apart from one another.

With this arrangement shown in FIG. 4, material chips that have beenirradiated on both sides and thus inertized may be produced. This methodof rendering objects inert is especially necessary in particular forrecycled biologically toxic material.

Device 6 for inertizing objects is, as may be seen from FIG. 1, followedby a mineralizing device 7 in which the material chips 6.5 that havebeen inertized are brought into contact with the aqueous solution ofmineral 7.1 and other admixtures such as sludge 7.2 from the dustprecipitator or waste sludge. Mineralizing device 7 is formed forexample by a commercial trough screw conveyor in which thewater-dissolved mineral with the material chips that have beeninertized, water, and/or sludge are mixed intimately with one anotherduring transport.

At the same time the activated chip material in mineralized.

The mineralized material chips are fed to mixer 8 with the solutionresidues of mineral and sludge components as well as binder 8.1 andwastewater 8.2 from dust precipitator 4.

Advantageously a commercial forced-circulation mixer is used as themixer. As a result of the mixing process, a usable product 10.1 results.

The combination of devices 1 to 8 must be supplemented by aposttreatment device 9 if the dust, sludge, or wastewater componentsadded to mixer 8 still contain biologically toxic components.Posttreatment device 9 is of the same design as device 6 for inertizingobjects. Advantageously the device for inertizing objects according toFIG. 4 is suitable as a posttreatment device with the material beingtransported from mixer 8 by a conveyor belt 5.4 to funnel 6.3.

Heat flux generator 6.4 of the posttreatment device consists of heatradiation sources located opposite one another that irradiate thematerial passing between them in free fall from both sides.

The low half-value thicknesses of the irradiated materials ensure theeffectiveness of the posttreatment and hence complete inertization ofthe material as an end product 10.2.

The procedure and layer structure when using material manufacturedaccording to the invention to cover extensive gas-emitting areas areshown in FIG. 5.

The construction layers are adjusted in thickness to the individualconditions and the fill with mineral soil and topsoil (arable soil) isestablished according to the vegetation conditions of the desired usefor agriculture or forestry.

Despite the leveling and compacting of the dump material 8,irregularities that appear in the grade can be compensated by adding asufficiently thick layer of mineralized poured-in-place concrete 17 madeof textile chips and cement. According to the invention, on top of thislayer 17 of poured-in-place concrete made of textile chips and cement,sealing mat 16 and on top of that a cover layer 15 of prefabricatedslabs of a textile chip-cement-concrete or a poured-in-place concreteaccording to layer 17 can be applied. On top of this, the soil layers14, 13, and 12 are added for a covering and a vegetation layer.

The following layer structure was selected for this embodiment. On topof covering layer 15, about 5 cm thick, a mineral soil 14 fromoverburden or recycling material is applied in a depth of at least 20 to50 cm. Then a mineral soil 13 that would promote vegetation is added toa thickness of at least 50 cm. This is followed by topsoil 12 about 30cm thick according to DIN 18300 as a surface layer 11.

A swellable water-storing mineral is placed between nonwoven fabric websas a sealing mat 16. Layer 17 made of mineralized poured-in-placeconcrete made of textile chips and cement is at least 12 cm thick on theaverage.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the material according to theinvention is used to cover dumps emitting radon.

The corresponding construction of the covering can be seen in the shapeof its layered structure in FIG. 6. Layers 11 to 16 are arranged andbuilt up by analogy with the embodiment in FIG. 5.

One special feature in this case is the additional plastic sealing web19 between the mineralized poured-in-place concrete 17 made of textilechips and cement and the water-storing layer 16 provided when theintensity of the radon in the dump material is high. With thisarrangement of plastic sealing web 19, the disadvantages that formerlywere encountered when using non-embedded plastic sealing webs areavoided.

We claim:
 1. A method for manufacturing filler materials for minerallybonded structural elements with thermal treatment of the startingmaterials to be used as filler materials, which comprises subjectingcomminuted high-polymer materials comprised of natural or syntheticorigin materials to a shock-like heat radiation treatment by directingthe materials past an irradiation unit to provide a temperature gradientof at least 20K per mm of travel distance of the materials past theirradiation unit in which a temperature of more than 600° C. can bemeasured whereby the materials are inertized and are activated by heatin the range of a molar energy of 60 to 170 kJ*mol⁻¹ and then placingthe resulting activated materials in a crystal-forming solution ofinorganic substances that enter into a permanently adhesive bond with abasic matrix of a composite material to be formed therefrom.
 2. A methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the crystal-forming solution of inorganicsubstances comprises waterglass or soluble silicon fluoride used as asetting accelerator for simultaneously flameproofing and weatherproofingof the materials thus treated; said method further comprising admixingthe composite material with cement, plaster or other ceramic materialsas a binder.
 3. A method according to claim 2 further comprisingcontrolling a distribution density of crystal complexes adhering tosurfaces of the materials thus treated by the dosage of appliedactivation energy, to be controlled by the throughput speed of travel ofthe materials pass the irradiation unit and by concentration of theinorganic substances comprising a setting accelerator in thecrystal-forming solution.
 4. A method according to claim 1, wherein thecrystal-forming solution of inorganic substances comprising a mixture ofsilicate gels and cement is partially applied to surfaces of elastichigh-polymer materials thereby making the structure of the resultingcomposite material non-brittle and giving the composite material heat,sound and vibration-damping properties.
 5. A method according to claim1, which further comprises admixing and bonding materials havingradiation energy absorbent properties and comprising inert lead andboron compounds, aluminum hydroxide, gadolinium oxide or magnetiteinsolubly with the crystal-forming solution of inorganic substances. 6.A method according to claim 1, wherein a composite material comprises amoldable material mixture and said method further comprises molding saidmoldable material mixture in molds to make mineral structure elementsincluding perforated parking panels, insulating panels, hollow blocks orlightweight wall elements or wherein with air drying of the compositematerial producing a loose material for use as a property-modifiedminerally bonded filler used in poured-in-place concrete, floor mortaror as a lightweight construction additive.
 7. A system for conductingthe method according to claim 1, wherein the high-polymer materialscomprise materials selected from the group consisting of remnants ofrecycled products from textile, leather and artifical leather industry,nonmetallic materials from old automobiles and packing material wastes,said system comprising a combination of the following elements arrangedsequentially:(1) a material supply device wherein starting materialscontaining hard objects and starting materials free of hard objects areadded separately; (2) a comminuting device comprising a shredder foreffecting comminution of the materials containing hard objects and thematerials free of hard or metal objects to form a comminuted materialchip mixture; (3) a dust separator for processing the comminutedmaterial chip mixture including a dust precipitator to conduct awaydust-laden air, said precipitator being used to recycle dust componentswithin the system to provide material chips; (4) a metering device towhich material chips are fed from the dust separator by gravity via freefall, said metering device depositing the material chips uniformly on aconveyor belt; (5) an irradiation unit for inertizing the materialchips, said irradiation unit comprising a plurality of radient heatgenerators which can be focused to provide a high energy concentrationon the material chips uniformly disposed on the conveyor belt; (6) amineralizing device in which the material chips that have been inertizedcome in contact with the crystal-forming solution; and (7) a mixerforming a final mixture of the mineralized material chips with a binder.8. A system according to claim 7, wherein the metering device comprisesa compartmented wheel lock, a spreader roller, a scraper roller, and aconveyor belt on which the material mixture leaving the wheel lock isdeposited, with the spreader roller and the scraper roller being drivenin a direction opposite the direction of motion of the conveyor belt. 9.A system according to claim 7, wherein a discharge wheel of thecompartmented wheel lock effects dispersion of the material mixture withmetering being a function of the rotational speed of the discharge wheeland the scraper roller comprises a beater or brush roll and the conveyorbelt comprises a simple belt, plate conveyor or scraper conveyor.
 10. Asystem according to claim 7, wherein the irradiation unit for inertizingthe material chips comprises a series arrangement of radiant heatgenerators installed parallel to a conveyor plane at right angles to theconveyor belt, said radiant heat generators being arranged above a stripof the material chips resting on the conveyor belt emerging from themetering device and, in addition, a second irradiation unit is arrangedon one side above the conveyor belt for irradiating the inertizedmaterial chips again from both sides, said additional unit comprising aplurality of radiant heat generators mounted opposite one another with ahopper mounted above and directed at a gap separating the generators,with the material chips to be processed passing by gravity between theheat radiant generators.
 11. A system according to claim 7, wherein themineralizing device comprises a screw conveyor and the mixer comprises aforced-circulation mixer.
 12. A system according to claim 7 furthercomprising a post treatment device connected downstream of the mixer forfurther treating the mixture when biologically toxic components areincorporated into the material subsequent to the mixer, said posttreatment device comprising another irradiation unit for inertizing themixture containing the biologically toxic components, said pretreatmentdevice comprising a hopper and a plurality of radiant heat generatorslocated opposite one another to treat the material during free fall fromthe hopper.